- Jul 11, 2001
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I've been with them since 2004. Got on their Medicare program a few years ago. Same primary care physician the whole time. My plan allows me a free physical once a year. I see him end of July. Hadn't had that free physical since Oct. 2015 at which time he said he'd give me another free physical if I wanted because he cut this one short to save time, but I didn't take him up on that.
So I just received a bill from Kaiser for $35 for the visit this last July that I figured would be free. The description of the charge is "OFFICE VISIT FOR MODERATE PROBLEM." I call them and ask what this could possibly be about and the woman says if you bring up anything at a routine free physical that's outside of a limited range of issues you will be charged. I'm aghast. I'm supposed to:
1. Know what can be discussed for free and what's chargeable?
2. I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut about these things and then go home and email him and then I won't be charged?
I'm incensed during this conversation. I'm usually the calmest guy when talking to customer service representatives but this time I'm anything but calm. She couldn't tell me what I discussed that caused this free physical to become chargable. I did mention to the doctor that my plantar fasciitis seems chronic and that my dentist told me that one cortisone shot evidently cured him so I asked if I could get a cortisone shot. He said that Podiatry would require me to get an xray first and he puts in an order for me to get a foot xray and schedules the appointment at Podiatry, all this taking him a minute or so with his computer. After our appointment I go immediately across the street to radiology but it looked like the wait would be long so I canceled it. They told me I should tell my primary care physician so the appointment at podiatry could be canceled and I emailed him and said I would for now forgo a cortisone shot, maybe ask to get an xray and shot at a later time. There is no way of determining if this has to do with the "moderate problem" for which they wanted to charge me. I explained this to the woman and she finally offered to wipe the charge, basically for putting on my record that I'd been informed that I must only discuss certain issues and not others or I would/could be charged. I still don't know what those issues are that you can't bring up at a free appointment without incurring a charge but she said that info is online.
Anyone else deal with stuff like this with KP?
So I just received a bill from Kaiser for $35 for the visit this last July that I figured would be free. The description of the charge is "OFFICE VISIT FOR MODERATE PROBLEM." I call them and ask what this could possibly be about and the woman says if you bring up anything at a routine free physical that's outside of a limited range of issues you will be charged. I'm aghast. I'm supposed to:
1. Know what can be discussed for free and what's chargeable?
2. I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut about these things and then go home and email him and then I won't be charged?
I'm incensed during this conversation. I'm usually the calmest guy when talking to customer service representatives but this time I'm anything but calm. She couldn't tell me what I discussed that caused this free physical to become chargable. I did mention to the doctor that my plantar fasciitis seems chronic and that my dentist told me that one cortisone shot evidently cured him so I asked if I could get a cortisone shot. He said that Podiatry would require me to get an xray first and he puts in an order for me to get a foot xray and schedules the appointment at Podiatry, all this taking him a minute or so with his computer. After our appointment I go immediately across the street to radiology but it looked like the wait would be long so I canceled it. They told me I should tell my primary care physician so the appointment at podiatry could be canceled and I emailed him and said I would for now forgo a cortisone shot, maybe ask to get an xray and shot at a later time. There is no way of determining if this has to do with the "moderate problem" for which they wanted to charge me. I explained this to the woman and she finally offered to wipe the charge, basically for putting on my record that I'd been informed that I must only discuss certain issues and not others or I would/could be charged. I still don't know what those issues are that you can't bring up at a free appointment without incurring a charge but she said that info is online.
Anyone else deal with stuff like this with KP?
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